The Peak Tram and the Kowloon–Canton Railway: Hong Kong by rail, the back story

About The Peak Tram and the Kowloon–Canton Railway: Hong Kong by rail, the back story

By the ULTIMATE Hong Kong Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

Hong Kong’s railway story is told in two landmarks. The Peak Tram, the first funicular railway in Asia, has climbed from Central to the Peak since 1888; and on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront the clock tower of 1915 is all that remains of the grand terminus of the Kowloon–Canton Railway.

The Peak Tram

In May 1888 a little cable railway opened from Garden Road in Central to the Peak: the first funicular railway in Asia. The line is about 1.4 kilometres long and climbs nearly 370 metres, and at its steepest the gradient reaches 48 per cent, so steep that the high-rises beside the track seem to tilt as you climb.

The wooden cars of the 19th century gave way to metal ones in the 1950s, and in 2022 to the sixth generation: Swiss-built trams in green, each carrying up to 210 passengers, which entered service on 27 August 2022 after a closure of some fourteen months. The tram is run by the Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, the company behind The Peninsula, and the little Barker Road station of 1919, the oldest on the line, is a Grade I historic building.

At its steepest the Peak Tram climbs a gradient of 48 per cent, and the towers of Mid-Levels seem to lean as you pass.

The clock tower of the Kowloon–Canton Railway

On 1 October 1910 the Kowloon–Canton Railway was inaugurated, linking Kowloon with Canton, today’s Guangzhou. Its terminus on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront opened in 1916, and its clock tower, built of red brick and granite, was completed in 1915. It rises 44 metres to the roof, and the lightning rod on top takes it to 51. The clock first ran on 22 March 1921.

In 1975 the station moved to Hung Hom, and despite protests the old building was demolished in 1977. The tower was saved, and on 13 July 1990 it was declared a monument. Its bell, silent since 1950, chimed again on 9 December 2021. Today it stands beside the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, the most familiar landmark on the Kowloon waterfront.

The railway today

The Kowloon–Canton line lives on as the MTR’s East Rail line, which since 2022 has crossed the harbour to Admiralty. Since 2018, high-speed trains from Hong Kong West Kowloon station have run into mainland China’s high-speed network.

Our advice: ride the Peak Tram early in the morning or on a weekday, when the queues are shortest, and walk the level Lugard Road circuit at the top for the view. Then cross the harbour on the Star Ferry to the clock tower, and stay for the lights of the island at dusk.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with The Peak Tram and the Kowloon–Canton Railway: Hong Kong by rail, the back story before you go.